Boot or shoe



June 9, 1925. 1,540,961

.1. P. STEVENS BOOT OR SHOE Filed May 21, 192:5

Patented June 9, i925.

UNITED STA'EIES JOHN IP. STEVENS, O'F NEWBURYPORT. MASSA CHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE.

Application tiled May 21. 1923.

To 17,7 'Milioni if 'mn/f nemer-ii.'

lie it known that l. Joux l. S'rnvI-ixs. a ritizen oi, the llnited States. residing in ewburjv'port. in thil eountj.Y of lisser; and State ot Hassaehusetts. have invented au improvement in oots or Shoes, ot which the following desrription. in eonneetion with the accompanying dra wings. is a specifieation. like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a boot or shoe and has for one of its objeets to provide a novel and improved eonstruetion ol a boot or shoe adapted to afford maximum comfort to thi` wearer and a coi-reet` support for the areh of the foot.

A further objeet ot the invention is to provide a boot or shoe of a strongV and durable eonstruetion having; a sole and shank portion oi! maximum iiexibilitv.

To these ends the boot or shoe is provided with an areh supporting' device whieh romprises a member tor engaging! and supporting the areh of the toot. and a roekingr niember upon whieh said areh eiriragg'irroV member is mounted. The rocking' member is adapted to be positioned within the hoot or shoe at the heel and shank portion thereof. and is adapted to support the heel portion ot' the toot as well as the. areh in a manner such that a person wearingf the shoe. as he walks along imparts a rocking movement to the rocking member. ln this manner the arch supportingr member is raused to eontinuously engage the areh of the toot and to support it in the different positions assumed by the Ytoot corresponding to the different steps or stages in the walking operation without causinglr undue pressure to be exerted upon the arch. The rocking member ma)T and preferably will comprise a lever pivoted upon a supportingr base or plate, and the latter ma;i be preferably secured to the heel portion oi the shoe. and the inner sole ot the shoe may be eut awayY to reduce to a minimum the spare oreupied by the areh supporting device. in order to provide the boot or shoe with a flexible shankv portion and yet omit the usual metal stitt'ening member for the shank. an external reinforeingr member is provided for the portion ot the shank at the breast ot the shoe heel. In the preferred embodiment of the invention this reinforcing member is riveted or otherwise secured to the supporting base Serial No. 640,374.

or plate ot' the improved` areh supporting levier within the shoe.

These and other features of rhe invention will be hereinafter deseribed and partienlarly pointed out in the ('laims at the end of the speeilieation.

in the drawing illustrating;l the preferred embodiment oi' the invention. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a shoe partiallir in section;

Fig. 2. a seetional plan oi the heel portion of the shoe shown in Figi". l with the roeking member oi'Y the areh support-ing device removed Fig. an inverted plan ot the rocking member; and

Fig. 4. a sectional view illustrating the position assumed b'v the roi-king member ot' the areh supportingr devire when the shoe heel is raised 'from the ground when the weight of the person rests upon thil ball of the toot.

Referringr to the drawings. 10 represents a shoe provided with the improved ari-h supportin; r devire 12. )is herein shown. the arrh supportilmy devire l2 romprises a roeking member 13 iu the form ot a lever provided with a rear portion 13 for supporting the heel of the foot. and w ith a Yl'ront member 1G for engaging uml supporting' the arch ol the toot. Ymth members 1T. 1G :1re preferablyY provided with eushions 1T. 1S. rlhe rot-kin;r member 13 is arranged to be rocked b v the movements ot' the toot as the person walks along about a pivotal point between 4the portions 15 and 1G. and as herein shown. the roi-.king member is provided with pintles 19 whieh are received within U-shaped bearing! members 180 upstandinp from a base plate or supporting member 20. The base plate or supporting member 2O maj,7 and preferablyY will be secured to the heel of the shoe. prefeiabl)Y by serews 22. and in order that the areh supportingF device may oeeupv a minimum space within the shoe. the inner sole at the heel portion of the. shoe is eut awaT and arranged to terminate at a point bevond the toi-ward end of the supporting member or base Q0. The areh eiifhlaefiiiggmember 16 may and preferably will eomilirise a plate curved to conform to the areh and provided with a dependin Y lu;r 24 b v which it is pivotally secured to the forked forward end 25 et the rockingr member 13 by a pin 26, as shown.

in order to enable the ShunhY portieri of the Shoe to be made flexible, thv usuul nietnl `etitlenvr iS omittetl :unl zin external reinfonr`- ing' lnvlnhvr Illl. herein hou'n :1:4 :i metnl :ingle pluie. is :i1-ranged tu rvintorev the shank ill :it thv breast of the uQhov hvvl. The rein- Yl'orring;- pluie ll nim' unil prvl'erulllf.n will he, Herureil ln' rivet` 2li) or nthvrwiw. to thv buse or supporting nlenilaer 2] ot the ureh sanpportinn (lvi'ile, :intl also by servire 53 to the brezwl oi thv shoe heel.

ln th:l operation of the :irvh .QupivntinnP [lm-iev` when :i step is taken. the heel oi' the l hov Sii-lkw4 the ground iii-et. zinfl the wviifht of the person vxertvfl upon the livel opei'zilleey lo leprves the reair or heel portion ot the ro-:.l-;in` tuenilier l'l into the pneilion illuetrfitee'l in Fing. i. ln Snell position. it will liv olreerrvil that the :ireli engaging nlvnr l-vr lo supporte lh'` :iif'h ot the toot. .NQ the person Continues to vonipletv the Step. the weight ie Qrnihnilli' liliiftvil on to thv hull ol' the toot. unil :le it is thus shilteil. the :irih engaging; nieulbvr lll ie itevlt roel-:eil relatively to the roi-kingl member 13 inil into euhetnntinlly the position Shown in Fin: l. thereby relieving thv :lrvli from ribnormiil preesnre :is the weight ie l1it`tvfl to the bull of the tout. The, nrr'h en'fzigfinf member C therefore, :it :ill tinivt4 innintriinvi'l in engfngen'ient with the nr -li ot' the toot :unl operetee to |Qnppnrt it. Notwith- Stnnilingf that the urvh engaging :intl Supportin member lil is ninintninerl :it :ill time@ irml \v in engagement with the nrvh to yupp'urt the Sinne. it is nevertheless :nriinuecl tu mure with nifuen'ients of the Ytout ne the person willie, :unl thvrete'ne unflnv or hfirsh preesurv upon thv :tri-h isi ziroielvfl. In this manner lxniximnm ointert nt'forlleil the wearer ot' the Shoe :unl :it the @time ti: the :ir-h ie positively nnfl eurreetl),r eiel'ipnrtv-'l :it :1li tinn. The :ietion ot the nreeent :irrh iQnpportiinj rlevivv nizw be eolnpnrvil to the :i tion olituineil when one Walks barefoot in enntl. in surh u vinse the euml. [ille the epm-e lnnlvr the :irvh of thv Vfool nfl being yivlfline' :iets rvry Similarbv to the :ir h engaging;- niemher itl of the present. :ii-eh supporting ileriee.

The elimination ol` the usual nietul Shrink stitl'eningr member Yfrom the Shzinl; enrblee :i gole :inil hunk of 1ntixinunn tlfwihilitjiv to he obtained. Thie4 l'eaturv of .'nistrnction fields to the vom tort of the shov :intl prevents the ureh engfiginnr nien'ilivr from. i e:1ring T harshlyv against the :tri-h ot the foot, und (langer of the shank beiner broken down or ruptured :it the portion adjacent the heel is :ivniileil hy the reinforcingl hreusl phitey which hitter can have its upper Hzinge 4f) nnnlv ot :inir (leeirvil wiflth to zuhipt it, to heels It various Sizes ancl yet provifle the ri-.inl'm-vvment for the Shank.

llzirinn thnx` hvrihv|l the, invention. what rhiimvfl is:

l. boot or Shoe proviileil with nu :ireh `Qnpportinh` derive within thv heel :nul shzinlc portion thereoi. comprising zi Supporting hase seem-eel to the heel portion ot the shoe n roekingl` member piroteil thereon` :in areh engaging :intl Supporting: nir-miner moval'ilr Inonnteil upon the forwnrrl portion of Quill writing member, :incl a heel IrpportinLr invuihvr n'ionnteil upon the reni' ot' the roekinir member. the pivotal point of the roeking member being loezitefl intvrmeiliiite the urvh :mil heel Supporting1 members.

A hoot` or Shoe prorirlefl with :in :irrh enpportiinr clerive withinl the heel :unl shank portion thvreot. comprenner zi eupportingr base ,teenrvi'l to the Shoe heel. n rovkingg n1vmlier pivotefl thereon. :in ari-h engaging :intl Supporting member pivotnllr mieintefl isp-'in thv roeltingx' member in front ot thv pivot ot the latter. zinfl :i member inountvil npon the roelciuef member in thv reur of Sniil pivot YFor Supporting the heel ot the toot.

il. An nrelrsnpporting fleviee for use within a Shoe, eomprieinf; n nirotefl heel-Supporting! member. and :1n an h-fa'upporting member piroterl to sziifl lieelSti]')portin,f1 member to roel( thereon While engaged with the areh oi the foot.

4. An nreh Supporting device for use within :i shoe vomprising n` nivotferl heel Supporting member find :in nreh Supporting member vnrriecl bv the pivotvtl heel Supporting member to roel: about the. pivot there- 'it'or :intl l'novnblv monnteil upon the heel Supporting' member to he, vzipnblv of :in inclepvnflent movement for the purpose Sperified.

5. An arch supportingt leviee for use within :i Shoe eomprisine u snpnortinxli hase. n roekinf: member detavhablr pirotefl thereon proviflerl with one portion tor engaging :inrl supporting the nreh. :mil n eeeonfl portion for Supporting the heel of the toot Snirl imi-thuisL being' Capable oiE movement inflepenrlently of efirh other wherein7 n rocking nnivernvnt ie imparted to will rocking member ne the person wallie to renee Suhl first portion to .rivhlingljf eugene anrl support the :Lreh at fill times.

In tefltimony Whervot` i have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN P. STEVFN. 

